Your Land Rover is meant to provide you with an optimal driving experience. Whether it be off-road or cruising down the motorway, every time you put your foot down, you should feel the power of a rugged, secure and high-quality vehicle underneath you. However, problems sometimes arise. Laborious acceleration, excessive emissions and loud whining noises can all indicate that your turbocharger needs urgent first aid.
So, what is the turbocharger? How do you know when it’s broken, and can you still drive your Land Rover if the turbo isn’t working? In today’s blog, we’ll answer all those questions and more.
What is a turbocharger?
A turbocharger, or turbo, is a system fitted into many modern Land Rovers that helps boost engine power. Seen as economically beneficial, engines equipped with turbochargers are typically smaller than those found in vehicles with the same power output that have no turbocharger attached.
For example, a 5L V8 naturally aspirated engine in a Range Rover has been replaced with a 3L turbocharged V6 diesel engine, and still delivers the same power.
What does a turbo do?
You’ll find that almost all modern Land Rovers and Range Rovers are equipped with a turbocharger. By giving you better fuel economy and reduced emissions compared to those found in normally aspirated engines, turbochargers deliver benefits both economically and environmentally.
Turbochargers work by adding more air to the air and fuel that already helps to power the Land Rover. Pushed into the engine cylinders by a compressor, this additional air helps the fuel burn quicker, delivering more power to your Land Rover.
Due to how fast a turbocharger operates, you’ll often find a cooling system in place to cool the oil and air.
What causes a turbocharger to fail?
Your Land Rover turbocharger shouldn’t fail, but it can happen. Luckily, it’s widely reported that less than 1% of turbo failures come from manufacturing defects, so if you keep on top of your Land Rover servicing and general care, you shouldn’t encounter a problem. However, damage from external sources, a lack of oil or an unsuitable lubricant can all cause your turbo to fail.
These shouldn’t be your only causes for concern, despite the three previously mentioned issues being among the largest causes of turbo failure, there are plenty more things to look out for.
Driving too fast
If you frequently push your Land Rover or Range Rover to its speed limit, you could exceed your engine’s capabilities. This will cause gas to be forced through seals and pipes, eventually leading to leaks and cracks. With the turbo now having to work harder, it is more likely to get damaged and break down.
Wear and tear
Over time, your turbocharger will wear down, even if it is looked after, it won’t last forever. Typically, you can expect 100,000 miles of use from your turbocharger before it needs replacing, but this can vary depending on how you drive, and how well you maintain your vehicle.
Lack of oil
If your turbocharger doesn’t have a suitable supply of oil, it cannot function properly. In many cases, this can lead to an immediate breakdown and costly repairs. A lack of oil can stem from a bent or blocked oil pipe, low oil levels in the sump, damaged oil filters, blocked oil inlet gaskets or simply a lack of engine use.
Contaminated oil
If the oil is contaminated, some components within the turbocharger can get damaged. This will lead to poor performance and eventually, the failure of your turbo. You may not notice that contaminated oil has caused the issue until it is too late, as it can be caused by damaged or blocked filters, a buildup of carbon in the engine or by using oil that has passed the suggested service interval.
Foreign objects
Turbos are quite delicate. Despite their robust build, the invasion of dust, dirt, stones, and more can lead to major issues. Should any of these items make their way into the compressor wheels or the turbine blades, you’ll see a huge drop-off in the performance and efficiency of your turbocharger.
What are the signs of a failing turbocharger?
You’ll notice when the turbocharger in your Land Rover or Range Rover is failing, as your vehicle will exhibit some characteristics you may not have seen before. If you notice any of these, you should speak to a Land Rover service centre for guidance.
Sluggish acceleration and loss of power
Your turbocharger is there to help your Land Rover reach top speeds more quickly. If you notice it is taking considerably longer to get up to speed and movement feels much more sluggish than before, your turbo could be on its way out.
Excessive emissions
If your turbocharger is damaged, oil may leak into the exhaust. In doing so, it quickly evaporates and turns into a very noticeable smoke. At lower speeds when the turbo isn’t in use, the smoke isn’t as recognisable, but once you pick up speed, if you see larger clouds of smoke than normal coming from your exhaust, your turbo may be broken.
Whining noises from the engine
A turbocharger helps reduce engine noise, so if you start hearing a loud whining sound coming from your engine, it’s likely that your turbocharger is struggling. The louder the noise, the more serious the problem, so always seek professional help before it is too late!
Engine warning light
Land Rovers come equipped with a host of great tech to help keep you informed of performance issues, and with the turbo, it is no different. If your turbocharger is not working properly, your engine warning light will illuminate to indicate a problem. However, this light can be indicative of other engine problems, so it would be wise to seek out a Land Rover or Range Rover specialist to inspect the vehicle.
Luckily, further damage should be avoided as most Land Rovers switch to limp mode when this happens to help protect the engine.
Can a blocked DPF cause turbo failure?
Yes, it can. The DPF, or Diesel Particulate Filter, is an important part of your vehicle, and if it is blocked, it can lead to turbocharger failure. This is because increased back pressure from the blocked DPF can lead to the turbocharger overloading and see oil leak into the compressor housing, among other issues. We’ve put together a guide for DPF regeneration that can help you navigate the issues; however, it is often best to have your DPF replaced or repaired by a specialist.